Trump postpones military strikes on Iranian power plants for five days | US-Israel war on Iran News

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he has ordered the United States military to postpone strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days after holding “good and productive conversations” with Tehran.

“I am pleased to report that the United States of America, and the country of Iran, have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” Trump posted in all caps on his Truth Social platform.

“I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five – day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”

The latest announcement will be seen as a big relief in the region, which has been bearing the brunt of Iranian attacks, and across the world as the war on Iran has sent oil prices soaring and causing a global energy crisis.

In efforts to ease the energy prices, Trump on Saturday gave Tehran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels, warning that otherwise the US would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants. Trump’s ultimatum was aimed at ending Tehran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil passes.

Al Jazeera’s Osama bin Javaid said Trump, with his announcement, may have opened a potential off-ramp on its war on Iran.

“This is the breaking news that everybody in the region and beyond has been waiting for … that Donald Trump, who declared this war unilaterally without legal backing, can end it unilaterally without any preconditions,” he added.

Analyst Mohammed el-Masry said that Trump’s announcement may be “his way of sort of giving himself a dignified exit”.

“But the question that people need to ask is what the Iranians are going to do, and what the Israelis are going to do, and to what extent might they be willing to continue the war effort against Iran without US backing, if that’s what ends up happening here.”

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said that the Iranians will possibly climb down despite the three weeks of war. “The likelihood that they will refuse this offer from Trump is remote,” he said.

“The Iranians do not want to continue this war – they say it was imposed on them and the region.

“They have said that if there are guarantees, and further negotiations take place, and if there is no repeat of the same type of aggression or any kind of aggression against Iran in the future, and if there is a willingness to find a lasting deal, then I am sure the Iranians will not say no.”

‘Initiative’ by regional countries

Iran’s foreign ministry a statement carried by semi-official Mehr news agency said that Trump’s move is aimed at reducing energy prices and earn time to implement his military plans.

It added that there are “initiative” by regional countries to reduce tensions but that their concerns should be referred to Washington, “the party that started this war”.

Tehran denied there was a dialogue between Tehran and Washington.

Iran had said it would completely shut the strait – a transit point for about one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies – in retaliation. Tehran also pledged to attack energy facilities in Israel and Gulf countries.

The de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has caused a spike in global oil prices and caused a shortage of cooking gas in several Asian countries. Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, on Monday warned that the situation in the Middle East is “very severe” and is worse than the two energy crises of the 1970s put together.

On Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded that if Washington went ahead with its threat, Iran would target power plants in all regions that supply electricity to US bases “as well as the economic, industrial and energy infrastructures in which Americans have shares”.

In addition, the country’s Defence Council warned that any attack on Iran’s southern coast or islands would prompt the laying of sea mines that would sever Gulf shipping routes, according to state media.

Al Jazeera’s Osama bin Javaid, citing conversations with diplomats, said that even during the Eid holiday, “multiple countries at different levels have been holding conversations with embassies or directly with the White House”.

“People have told us they have been telling Trump that this process of escalation does not bode well for Iran or for Israel,” he reported.

“There are multiple factors to take into account. One is the threat Trump issued about hitting power plants and energy infrastructure, and Iran’s response in a tit-for-tat escalation.”